A wide variety of rotating machines, such as gas turbines, include rotating components that may cause significant damage in the event that contact is made with stationary components of the machines. For example, hot gas path damage within a gas turbine may lead to displacement of rotating components and damage to the gas turbine. Conventional monitoring systems have been developed to monitor rotating machines and provide protection by identifying fault conditions. However, these conventional systems are often unable to precisely identify a fault condition and may trigger false alarms. For example, conventional gas turbine monitoring systems typically monitor vibrations based upon a gas turbine load and assumed steady state or baseline conditions. However, because the steady state conditions are subject to fluctuations due to temperature changes and other ambient conditions, false alarms are often generated. These false alarms often result in relatively expensive maintenance procedures and lost revenue due to the gas turbine being taken offline. Accordingly, improved systems and methods for protecting rotating machines, such as gas turbines, are desirable.